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Episode:God Help Ye Merry Bundymen
|image = |caption = Al, Griff and their reflections with Gary |series = Married... with Children |season = 11 |episode = 8 |overall = 243 |network = FOX |production = 11.08 |imdb = tt0642278/ |guests = Jonathan Mangum Kevin Lamont Smith Amy Lyndon Steven Anthony Lawrence Lynette Bennett Mary Stein Christian McLaughlin |taping = December 06, 1996 |airdate = December 22, 1996 |writers = Steve Faber & Bob Fisher |directors = Mark K. Samuels |previous = "The Juggs Have Left the Building" |next = ''"Crimes Against Obesity" }} '''God Help Ye Merry Bundymen' is the 8th episode of Season 11 of Married... with Children, and the 243th overall series episode. Directed by Mark K. Samuels and written by Steve Faber & Bob Fisher, it premiered on FOX-TV on December 22, 1996. Synopsis Christmas is around the corner for the Bundys. Al doesn't want a Christmas tree, but the rest of the family do. Marcy is determined to win the neighborhood decorating contest. Gary hires two young guys, Hal and Biff, to help Al and Griff at the shoe store. Someone (actually Bud and Kelly) kidnaps Mary and Joseph from Marcy's Nativity Scene and demand $500 in ransom. Hal and Biff turn out to be such good workers that Gary decides to replace Al and Griff with them, permanently. Plot Summary To help Al and Griff, Gary hires two young employees, named Hal and Biff, who seem to resemble the two in their younger days. As it turns out, the new employees do better at their jobs than Al and Griff, which leads to Gary firing them. Meanwhile, The neighborhood decorating contest is going on, and Marcy wants to win desperately. Peggy decides to make a gingerbread house, though she won't eat it, nor will she let anyone else. Al and Griff get jobs as an elf and a reindeer, thought the two are still miserable. Al goes to plead for his job back, where the shoestore has a load of customers. Hal and Biff are frightened, and Al makes them horrified when he notes the similarities between Hal and Al's early feelings about how it was "just a summer job", among various things. The thought of being like Al and Griff makes the two quit and deluged with customers, Gary hires Al immediately. Griff runs back to the store, crept out by the other reindeer. Kelly and Bud steal Mary and Joseph from Marcy's Nativity Scene, demanding a ransom. However the deal is off when Kelly accidentally busts the head off one of them. Marcy tells the two that she will beat whoever stole them senseless, which leads Bud to admit to the crime. As punishment, the two pose as Mary and Joseph for the contest. At first it looks like Marcy will win. However, the trophy is taken away as the judges see Peggy's gingerbread house of the whole neighborhood. Marcy receives second place, and a fruitcake. Angered, Marcy tells the judges to shove the fruitcake as Bud and Kelly tell her that they will take it since they love fruitcake. The epilogue reveals that Al got the family a Christmas tree after all. Guest Stars *Jonathan Mangum as Hal *Kevin Lamont Smith as Biff *Amy Lyndon as Mall Manager *Steven Anthony Lawrence as Kid #1 *Lynette Bennett as Judge #1 *Mary Stein as Judge #2 *Christian McLaughlin as Reindeer Dancer Trivia *Story editor Christian McLaughlin makes a cameo appearance as a camp reindeer dancer. *The flashing end credits are enclosed with a red/white picture frame effect and the phrase "Happy Holidays" is written in the lower left-hand corner, the background music is "Deck The Halls", followed by "Jingle Bells" External Links Category:MWC Episodes Category:Season 11 Category:Christmas Category:Episodes directed by Amanda Bearse